A Refined Woman

I attended Virginia Richey’s funeral today.  Perry said Virginia didn’t want a funeral which was probably the reason the church building had no heat.  We all laughed.  Virginia had the last word.  She was quite a lady.   Her potato salad was the best ever – I asked her for her recipe once and she gave it to me but I still don’t think I will ever make it as good as hers.  We always had our Canadian ties.  She was born and raised in Ontario.  Many years ago we floated the Gulkana and Betty Taylor and Virginia came.  Virginia could name every plant and berry we saw along the way, she was our resource on everything.    I remember asking her if it was hard for her to come up with dinner ideas for every Sunday dinner when everyone came over to her house.   She said she always served roast and potatoes.  Virginia said – “I never even thought of changing it up – it is always roast and potatoes!”    That comment always made me feel better.    Wouldn’t it be easier if we just had roast and potatoes every Sunday?

While We Were Sleeping

I stepped down the last stair ready to begin my day when I was stopped by the strangest altercation.  “Rocky” my robot vacuum was sitting there very still with just one red light shining brightly.  There was a roll of toilet paper wound around its base and crumpled pieces here and there.  It took me by surprise.  First of all I never turned on Rocky so that means Ovi must have stepped on his base and started his routine.  Secondly, Rocky is not allowed to vacuum in the bathroom with very good reason.  It’s like raising kids all over again.  Rocky and Ovi you need to go to your rooms and think about what you have done.

Can’t Go Wrong With Norman Rockwell

I discovered that myself and some of my children love doing jigsaw puzzles.  Last December while in Idaho Kyla and I put together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of the inside of Costco – thank goodness we had Blaze to help us put some pieces in.  Micah and David finished up their puzzle this year late into the night-they just couldn’t stop!  Devin had his on his dining room table but with so many interruptions he piled it all back into its box until next year.  I bought mine with a hint of desire that turned into a passionate addiction every single day.  It sits on my table in my office that does not allow cats.  Ovi waits for me outside my door and she says she just doesn’t understand what the problem with her laying on the puzzle is and why she can’t chew on a few of the pieces.  It is going to be a long few months for her banned from one thousand pieces of pure heaven for her.   Meanwhile I’m deep into my Saturday Evening Post puzzle – see you in a few months.

Laughing Feels Good

How do we survive all the craziness with our weather?  We just do.  How do we keep smiling?  We just do.  How do we love the state in which we live?  We just do.  How do we support one another?  We help.  How do we stay positive?  We put a whole of bunch of memes on social media and we just laugh.  We are good people who see the beauty in all that we are given.  So let’s keep being positive and supportive and keep giving me a laugh or two.

The Igloo That Doesn’t Melt

Ovi now has an igloo.  I am most grateful to Target for clearancing their huge selection of cat igloos so that Ovi could move out of her Christmas house and into this smaller dome edifice.  She seemed quite comfortable with the move although for awhile she just stared at the igloo.   I reassured her that is was cozy and that the blue puffy cushion brought the blue out in her eyes.  The Snowball Queen finally consented and yes it does bring the blue out in her eyes.

2022 Annual Christmas Skate

The annual Styers Christmas skate finally happened.  We were a little perplexed wondering if we could get everyone together for our favorite event with all that has been happening weather wise but we made it happen.  On Saturday the snow drifts and wind were still too bad so that it made us postphone for a few more days.  Unbeknownst to all it was still a rough one although it was fun. We had sick parents and sick kids and visits to the clinic following our skate.  Gotta love us die hard Styers – let’s skate first and then go get meds which is just what happened.

A Sabbath Christmas

It was a different Christmas Day – not different in a negative way at all but a very quiet meaningful one.  As traditions go I got up and put the monkey bread in the oven to bake and Mike and I opened our gifts. After eating and getting in our church clothes we loaded up the X3 with all the gifts for the families and headed out on our journey.  Our first stop was to Lane and Kelcy’s where Gwendolyn lit up with that cheesy smile at everything she saw, then on to Micah and David’s where Micah got the mop she has been wanting for a long time and David got tools, then on to Devin and Brooke’s where his art print “Glory in the Dust” that he eyed many many years ago was now his all framed in shiny clear glass.   Then to church where the program was short, musical, spiritual and just right.  On the way home we stopped in at Bret and Britta’s with the final load of gifts after munching on the chocolate covered mangoes all the way from the church building that Kelcy had given us.  The kids all came over later for left overs and games and I just sat in my chair to take it all in.   What a wonderful merry merry Christmas.

This Year’s Christmas Eve

Let’s sum it up:  rib steaks, eclairs, eating until we are plumply full, an actual fish as a White Elephant gift, stealing and laughter, the littles did their own white elephant – it was the sweetest,  Gwendolyn loved the rainbow squishy ball,  everyone listened intently to the Nativity story and listened to President Nelson give us all a message, David was our angel and the children used bells to perform Christmas carols for us.  I love this family of mine so much.  

 

Coming Full Bloom

Our community puts on an annual Christmas Friendship Dinner which is on Christmas day.  Anyone is invited and it is held at the Menard Sports Complex.  They even deliver meals to those that are homebound.  “Warm friendship, great food and music”  is what the flyer states and they welcome many volunteers.  What an amazing thing to serve about three thousand people and many that I know play a huge part in this endeavor.  I have wanted to help so this year I said I would make ten pies.  Making ten pies is not a huge feat but it is something.  In the words of Henri J. M Noun  “Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life…all of our life.”

 

 

And The House Shook

And it came to pass that the winds began to blow.  As the winds blew the snow blew and therefore the people were in great turmoil.   And they pleaded with the One above to stop the winds as the snow and cold had already shaken up the people.  But alas. . . this was not to happen yet.   We were left without light for a time and our bodies were shaken with cold and fear.  Before long we saw the light and heard of many good Samaritans along the way which made our hearts warm once again.  We continue to pray that the winds will subside and all the people on the earth will be good and obedient.